Tuesday, 31 August 2010
The Suburbs
I'm a bit uneasy living in the suburbs of Virginia. I'd much prefer to live in DC. I feel disconnected from everyone and everything. I looked up a trip on wmata.com and it said it'd take an hour to get from where I live to Alexandria. That's crazy. Of course, the feeling of being disconnected will improve once I get the bus system down and finish my dissertation so I can go out and interact with the world. There are some things that are making me feel more comfortable with my new location, namely the lighting bugs, the trees, and the cardinals. They're like little presents. This morning, there was a bright red cardinal on the branch outside my window this morning, chirping away. What a lovely sight for 7am. One of these days, I'm going to go park hunting. Until then, enjoying the view from my window.
Friday, 27 August 2010
Crossing Guard
Today I assisted two Banded Woolly Bear Caterpillars across the road. I was out for one of my two daily walks--designed to make sure I'm getting outside and fresh air while being cooped up finishing my dissertation--when I saw the first. Woolly Bear Caterpillars are pretty big. They're fuzzy and black with a brown stripe across their midsections. Old wives' tales say that the length of their brown middle is related to the harshness of the upcoming winter. I'm quite happy to report that their brown middles were quite small in comparison to their black ends. If the caterpillars can predict it, this winter won't be as nasty and full of snow as last. (Sorry, government employees, no paid week of work due to snow.)
I laid down a stick to get the first caterpillar up and into a flower bed. He curled up when I laid him down and I stood around for a minute making sure he uncurled and continued on his way. No sticks in sight when I happened upon the second caterpillar, so I used a semi-dried and two-days cut piece of weed. It still had leaves on it. That made it hard to pick the caterpillar up since it was more interested in eating the leaves. But that was interesting, too. I watched it devour about 5 of the leaves before rolling it on to the stem and moving it to the grass where there were tons of leaves for it to munch. Watching it eat was interesting because you can't see it eat, but rather quickly the leave just sort of stops being there.
If my identification is right, then these little guys, providing they make it, will turn into Isabella Tiger moths. They'll overwinter in their caterpillar stages and sometime next spring start their transformation. Hope you make it, guys!
Some info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctiidae
http://www.asktheexterminator.com/Caterpillar/Woolly_Bear_Caterpillar.shtml
I laid down a stick to get the first caterpillar up and into a flower bed. He curled up when I laid him down and I stood around for a minute making sure he uncurled and continued on his way. No sticks in sight when I happened upon the second caterpillar, so I used a semi-dried and two-days cut piece of weed. It still had leaves on it. That made it hard to pick the caterpillar up since it was more interested in eating the leaves. But that was interesting, too. I watched it devour about 5 of the leaves before rolling it on to the stem and moving it to the grass where there were tons of leaves for it to munch. Watching it eat was interesting because you can't see it eat, but rather quickly the leave just sort of stops being there.
If my identification is right, then these little guys, providing they make it, will turn into Isabella Tiger moths. They'll overwinter in their caterpillar stages and sometime next spring start their transformation. Hope you make it, guys!
Some info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctiidae
http://www.asktheexterminator.com/Caterpillar/Woolly_Bear_Caterpillar.shtml
Monday, 23 August 2010
Do you hear what I hear?
Spotted: the creature making the cawing sound in the tree tops around the neighborhood. I've been looking out for a few days now for birds, big birds, like birds of prey, strange birds--anything bird, really that's the source of the noise. Turns out all that noise comes from a black squirrel. I stared in disbelief as a black squirrel was coming down a tree, and the noise seemed to be moving with it. Is it a mating call? A cry? Heat stroke? How strange and new and exciting. City wildlife! The black squirrel is my favorite type of squirrel. Its fur looks so much silkier than that of the grey squirrel. Turns out they're one and the same, just a darker pigmented version. I also learned two greys can produce a black. A grey and a black and produce a half and half--looks kind of like one of the milk/dark chocolate pastilles that Droste makes.Yum.
Sing away, squirrels. I'll be listening.
Saturday, 21 August 2010
Fairy rings . . . and mushroom randomness
Learning is exciting. The other day, I learned a new term: fairy ring. It's a circle of mushrooms. Mushrooms are the fruit of a fungus that grows beneath the surface of the ground.
The first one I saw was on the groups of the Apricot Centre. There was a near-complete circle of mushrooms at the edge of the orchard. The second one I saw was out my window in the Quays. It was less impressive: a few mushrooms and a dead spot. It was also a funky shape, much more amoeba like than circular.
It's mushroom time in DC, too. There are some really large ones around, thanks to the wet warm conditions. Last night, I saw what looked like the start of a fairy ring, but it was interrupted by cement.
I'd like to have the knowledge to go about picking wild mushrooms and not risk my health. I've been told that it used to be, at least in Europe, that you could take your pickings to the pharmacist who could sort out which was which and tell you the ones that were safe to eat.
Then, the other day, I heard about a guy who's growing mushrooms in his fridge. Not the throw-in-your-pasta sauce kind, but the magical variety. The lengths people go . . . . When I was at UEA, I used to hear stories about people who'd gone magic mushroom picking in the woods. Apparently, they grow naturally wild there. I suppose there are worse things one could do and at least it gets the kids outside.
http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4735253393075093930&postID=7357773752020649866
I have mixed feelings about mushrooms. I suppose it all comes down to how they are prepared and how much mushroom there is. Portobello is too much mushroom. Diced and in a sauce? Sounds nice. Smothered in garlic and butter? I could do with a few. Button mushrooms raw? If it were served to me. Stuffed mushrooms? I want to like them, but I'm just not that into them. I prefer to see them growing, in the ground, in random places, all different varieties. Mushrooms are fascinating, especially when they clean up toxic waste and cure smallpox.
Paul Stamets' Ted Talk
The first one I saw was on the groups of the Apricot Centre. There was a near-complete circle of mushrooms at the edge of the orchard. The second one I saw was out my window in the Quays. It was less impressive: a few mushrooms and a dead spot. It was also a funky shape, much more amoeba like than circular.
It's mushroom time in DC, too. There are some really large ones around, thanks to the wet warm conditions. Last night, I saw what looked like the start of a fairy ring, but it was interrupted by cement.
I'd like to have the knowledge to go about picking wild mushrooms and not risk my health. I've been told that it used to be, at least in Europe, that you could take your pickings to the pharmacist who could sort out which was which and tell you the ones that were safe to eat.
Then, the other day, I heard about a guy who's growing mushrooms in his fridge. Not the throw-in-your-pasta sauce kind, but the magical variety. The lengths people go . . . . When I was at UEA, I used to hear stories about people who'd gone magic mushroom picking in the woods. Apparently, they grow naturally wild there. I suppose there are worse things one could do and at least it gets the kids outside.
http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4735253393075093930&postID=7357773752020649866
I have mixed feelings about mushrooms. I suppose it all comes down to how they are prepared and how much mushroom there is. Portobello is too much mushroom. Diced and in a sauce? Sounds nice. Smothered in garlic and butter? I could do with a few. Button mushrooms raw? If it were served to me. Stuffed mushrooms? I want to like them, but I'm just not that into them. I prefer to see them growing, in the ground, in random places, all different varieties. Mushrooms are fascinating, especially when they clean up toxic waste and cure smallpox.
Paul Stamets' Ted Talk
Friday, 20 August 2010
Organic confession
There are some foods I find myself more comfortable eating if they were conventionally grown. Conventionally grown means pesticides have been used on them. Why? I don't like to have bugs in my food.
This seems like a horrible thing to admit, but I admit it. After picking a season's worth of raspberries infested with larvae, I find myself reaching for the non-organic berries in the store. While some might find the presence of a wormy thing a comforting sight as it indicates the presence of organic growth or at low pesticide use, it turns my stomach. And that's one of my flaws; it doesn't take much to turn my stomach.
There were many berries I picked that didn't seem to have a hint of bug presence and many of them were gorgeous, great smelling, bright red berries. Still, one worm and I lost interested. No way were any of those going to make their way into my mouth. I tried. Several times. I'd get an awesome looking berry, near perfect, with no signs of worm or pest. The berry would look clean inside and out, no holes, no spots, just perfect. I still had a hard time eating it. I'd pop one in my mouth and my tongue would be searching for the presence of a worm. I'd rather not eat something delicious than possibly eat a worm.
Anyway, I'm working on over-coming this fear. I hope to go out and buy more locally grown, farmers-market sold, organic things and support the local agriculture. I think all I need is a big of encouragement and a little distraction.
This seems like a horrible thing to admit, but I admit it. After picking a season's worth of raspberries infested with larvae, I find myself reaching for the non-organic berries in the store. While some might find the presence of a wormy thing a comforting sight as it indicates the presence of organic growth or at low pesticide use, it turns my stomach. And that's one of my flaws; it doesn't take much to turn my stomach.
There were many berries I picked that didn't seem to have a hint of bug presence and many of them were gorgeous, great smelling, bright red berries. Still, one worm and I lost interested. No way were any of those going to make their way into my mouth. I tried. Several times. I'd get an awesome looking berry, near perfect, with no signs of worm or pest. The berry would look clean inside and out, no holes, no spots, just perfect. I still had a hard time eating it. I'd pop one in my mouth and my tongue would be searching for the presence of a worm. I'd rather not eat something delicious than possibly eat a worm.
Anyway, I'm working on over-coming this fear. I hope to go out and buy more locally grown, farmers-market sold, organic things and support the local agriculture. I think all I need is a big of encouragement and a little distraction.
Thursday, 19 August 2010
DC Delights
Today's walk around the neighborhood featured funky houses, a black squirrel, butterflies, lavender, and a not-so-healthy looking tree full of sparrows, blending in as leaves. Also, the background noise of airplanes. The one downside to the Palisades neighborhood is that, as it borders the Potomac, it's right in the line of flight for planes landing at Reagan Airport (aka DCA). In addition to thinking about the noise pollution, how despite the beauty of the neighborhood, I probably wouldn't really like living there, and about the air pollution. Silly, I know. On the upside, I saw huge hibiscus flowers that were deep red and walked down streets I'd never visited before. So much to explore.
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Fireflies
Fireflies. Lightning bugs. Fire bugs. Awesome by any name. I'd almost forgotten about them and how magical they are to watch.
This time last year, I was camping with two of my best girlfriends. Our camp was on a rock bed, complete with fire pit. Just behind it there was a green patch that formed in the drainage ditch. Once the sun went down, the fireflies came to life. Never had any of us seen so many at once. It was like being at Disneyland with the fake fireflies set to go off at regular intervals. It was like a blanket of twinkling Christmas lights. It was amazing. Just when I was lamenting the loss of goldfinches, magpies, tits, and oystercatchers, the firefly came along and reminded me that there's wonderful nature in this neck of the woods, too. I only need to go outside and find it.
Wikipedia tells me there are over 2,000 species of firefly. I'm thinking that firefly spotting would be a fantastic way to travel around. Can you imagine? New places, long quiet evenings spent watching these creepy and amazing little bugs light up, the different colors you could see: yellow, green, red.
In an unrelated story, a friend posted a news piece about a group of researchers who went camping for a week to find that the brain functions differently when away from computers. No shit. But that's a great excuse to take a vacation masked as work. And another reminder to go outside!
This time last year, I was camping with two of my best girlfriends. Our camp was on a rock bed, complete with fire pit. Just behind it there was a green patch that formed in the drainage ditch. Once the sun went down, the fireflies came to life. Never had any of us seen so many at once. It was like being at Disneyland with the fake fireflies set to go off at regular intervals. It was like a blanket of twinkling Christmas lights. It was amazing. Just when I was lamenting the loss of goldfinches, magpies, tits, and oystercatchers, the firefly came along and reminded me that there's wonderful nature in this neck of the woods, too. I only need to go outside and find it.
Wikipedia tells me there are over 2,000 species of firefly. I'm thinking that firefly spotting would be a fantastic way to travel around. Can you imagine? New places, long quiet evenings spent watching these creepy and amazing little bugs light up, the different colors you could see: yellow, green, red.
In an unrelated story, a friend posted a news piece about a group of researchers who went camping for a week to find that the brain functions differently when away from computers. No shit. But that's a great excuse to take a vacation masked as work. And another reminder to go outside!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)